Wire-terminal plug.



C. E. MOWRER.

WIRE TERMINAL PLUG.

APPLICATION FILED APE.10, 1912.

Patented Dec. 81, 1912.

EEE

cannon n. raownnn, or YPSILANTI, MICHIGAN:-

Applicationiiled April 10, 1912. Serial 359,822.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE E. MowRER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Ypsilanti, in the county of Wash tenaw and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful improvements in Wire-Terminal Plugs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvementsin electric wire terminal plugs and has particular application to that class of plugs which are detachably associated with the socket.

In carrying out the present invention, i is my purpose to provide a plug which may be inserted into its socket without the necessity of rotating the same thereby obviating the inconvenience heretofore incident to plugs of this type owing to the globes or shades which usually surround the socket.

It is also my purpose to provide a plug which may be attached to the usual threaded socket and which .will embody relatively movable members having socket engaging extremities capable of movement toward one another to enter the socket and designed to be moved away from one another or errpanded to lock the plug. into the socket by means of. the threads of such socket.

Furthermore, I aim to provide a plug which will embody relatively movable menib rs and a locking gle -oe, the latter serving to lock the plug-"within the socket and against accidental displacement from such socket.

v fith the above and other objects in view, the inventioi-rconsists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing there has been illustrated one practical embodiment of my invention and in this drawing; Figure 1 is a side elevation of a plug conv structed in accordance with the present 111-- vention, the same being shown inserted within a socket and locked therein, the socket being in section. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the plug, and hi 3 a side elevation of the plug, the socket-engaging extremity of the pluglyeing contract permit the ap iilicaiiion of the plug to the socket. Pferenee characters designate lroughout the several views.

' to the accompa:

etail, the plug, in the present specification of Letters Patent.

passed through a :Z'

rarealtfejdnc instance, includes a pair- 0f elongated-members 1 and 2 each of senncirculaficohtoh cross section so as to give the plu'gaf' V lar outline in cross sectionand pivot each other at an appropriate distaince; rom one end of the plug, the merribei' 2 provided with inwardly e5;tending ears 3 and'the member 1 with"aflateralfboss signed to enter the sp'acebetwe'enthe ears and provided with an opening aliningfivith openings in the ears to receive-a pivot (pin 5 by means of which the members may be moved relatively to eachpther' "toicont 'ra'ct one end and expand the socket engag g end of the plug.

The socket-engagingentr'emityf "ot -e plug is indicated at S and' s'i'icli -"ei'rtremity may be expanded or contracted "owing""tb the pivotal connection betweendhe bore 1 and 2, as is obvious. "This socket e gaging extremity of'the' plug embodie the proximate ends 6 and 7 -'ofthe-ine1nb'etsand? respectively, and'the'outer sideof the extremity 6 of the member"1 is*provided 0 with a threaded segmentalstrip-8, whilethe outer side of the extremity? of themerriber 2 is provided with a similarrelativelywide strip 9, both of said strips cooperating to hold the plug within the socket-,j'th'e stripfS forming one side of the "circuit'and being connected to a terminal binding post 10 nranged upon the inner side of'the extremity 6 of the member 1 and elec'tricallyconnect ed to the strip 8 of such member'byineans of a current carrying strip'll and a screw 12 which latter is arranged transversely of the extremity 6 of the member l'and'serves to secure the strips 8 and 1 1 to the extremity of such member, the-"strip 8-engaging the wall of the shell ofthesocket to cl'o'se the circuit, as usual. Fasten'ed-to thefl inner surface of the extremity? of "the-meniberfl is an inverted L-shaped contac'flst rip secured to such member by as'crewfil' provided with a terminal binding post'flo, this last-named strip forming'theiother side of the circuit and engaging the'centralcdn tact of the socket, as "usual; To the binding posts 10 and 15 are secured thet'rminal's of the wires l6, l6 and these wires are gon'al slot-17 formed in the member 2- of the -plug-in prox' to the pivotal connection of su'ch im with the member 1 sui 3.. i or The opposite members 1 and 2 of the plug terminate in manipulating handles 18 and 19 respectively by means of which the socket-engaging ends 6 and 7 of the plug may be moved toward and away from each other so as to contract or expand the socket-engaging extremity of such plug whereby the plug may be in sorted in the socket and secured therein. A suitable locking device cooperates with the handle members 18 and 19 the plug to lock such plug within the socket and against accidental displacement therefrom, and in the present instance, thisv locking device consists of a bar 20 pivoted as at 21 within a relatively wide recess 22 formed in the handle member 19 and extending through a relatively Wide slot 23 formed in the handle member 18, theouter or free extremity of the bar 26 terminating in a lug 24 adapted to engage the outer surface or the member 18 to lock the members 1 and 2 against movement, the slot 23'and recess 22 being of such dimensions as-"to" permit free movement of the bar 20 about its pivot 21 so that the lug 24 may be disengaged from the outer surface of the member 18 and the members 1 and 2 swung about their pivotal connections for the purposes aforesaid. Upon the release of the locking lug 2d from engagement with the member 18, the handle members 18 and 19 of the members 1 and 2 are adapted to move automatically away from eachother to contract the socket-engaging extremity of the plug and for this purpose, in the present embodiment of my invention, 1 insert r iled expansion spring 25 Within alining ses 26, 26 formed in the proximate sides the handle members 18 and 19, such spring serving to force the handle membe apart upon the release of the look ing device so as to facilitate the application of the plug to thesocket and the removal of such plug from the socket.

In practice, the bar 20 is swung about its pivotal connection. :21 to release the handle members 18 and 19 from the influence oi the locking lug and upon the release of the locking device, the spring acts to force the handle members away from each otherv thereby swinging the members 1 and 2 about their pivotal connection and moving the socket-engaging ends 6 and 7 of the members toward each other, thereby contracting the socket-engaging extremity of the plug whereby said plug may be inserted in the socket A as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing Subsequent to this action, the handle members 18 and 19 are drawn together consequently separating the ends 6 and "4' oil the members 1 and 2 and expanding the socket engaging extremity of the plug whereby the strips 8 and 9 will engage the threads in the socket A, the locking device carried by the handle members acting to lock the plug was,

lengths of the-i socket-engaging extremity gaging extremity for the plug,

within the socket. In event that the plug should not make good electrical contact with the socket, the plug may be given a slight turn to snugly ei'igage the contact 13 with the central contact oi the socket. To remove the plug from the socket, the locking device is released therelrv separating the handle members and contracting the socketengaging extremity of the plug as aforesaid.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that I have provided a plug which may be attached to a socket without the necessity and inconvenience of rotating the plug within the socket and owing to the seen that the plug may be easily and quickly applied to the socket, and while I have herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention by way of illustration, it is to be understood that 1 do not confine myself to the exact details of con nembers 1 and 2 it will be 'struction herein described and delineated,

modification and variation may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or Without exceeding the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A. wire terminal plug comprising a pair of pivotally connected members forming a socket-engaging extremity for the plug and provided with handles and adapted to be moved about their pivotal connection to con tract and expand the socket-engaging extremity of the plug so that the plug may be inserted within the socket and locked therein, a locking device carried by the handle members, and means for contracting the of the plug upon the release of said handles.

A. wire terminal plug comprising a pain of members pivotally connected to each other and spaced apart and forming a socket enand provided with handles and adapted to be moved about their pivotal connection to contract and expand the socket engaging extremity of the plug, a locking device carried by the handle members for locking the socket en gaging extremity of the plug in expanded position, and a spring for contracting the socket engaging extremity of the plug upon the release of said handles,

3. A wire terminal plug comprising pair of pivotally connected members forming a socket engaging extremity for the plug, handles formed on said members and adapted. to move the latter about their pivotal connection to contract and expand the socket engaging extremity of the plug, a locking device carried. by the handle members, and a spring located between the handle members and adapted to contract the socket engaging extremity of the plug upon the re lease of said handles.

4. A wire terminal plug comprising apair and means for contfacting the socket enof members pivotally connected to eachother gaging extremity of the plug upon theoreend spaced apart and forming a socket enlease of the locking device.

gaging extremity for the plug and provided In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 5 with handles adapted to be moved about in presence of two witnesses.

their pivotal connection to contract and ex- 7 v pend the socket engaging extremity of the CLAUDE plug, a locking device for locking the mem- Witnesses:

bers against movement when the socket en- L. ,R. KILLAN,

10 gagingextremlty of the plug is expanded, 'EDMUND B. HEWITT. 

